Good, Better, Best: Georgette Heyer

So, I maaaaay have promised this post to Sarah Seele last spring, saying that it'd probably be done by June of last year (i.e. 2021. I think it was 2021. If it was 2020, that's just too embarrassing.) Because she recommended me a bunch of Heyer, and then I said I should do a GBB. And I concurred. I should do a GBB. It's just taken me...the better part of a year, mostly because my aunts and mother kept recommending more Heyer for me to read. Which is not a problem, per se, just...a bit of a setback in terms of finishing my Heyer TBR, y'know.

So, you may be wondering, who is Georgette Heyer? Well, she was a prolific author who wrote over fifty books in her lifetime, which spanned from 1921 to 1974. She specialized in the Regency era, which she researched meticulously, writing with a level of detail that is absolutely stunning. (Really. Unbelievable.) Her books are witty, dashing, sweet, and all together enjoyable. I was introduced to her works through my mom first, and then realized that at least a couple of my blogger friends know of her, too, as well as my aunts...hence the plenteous recommendations.

I ran into a slight roadblock while I was writing this post, which was, as mentioned, that I promised this post to Sarah last spring. Which means I've been reading these books since last spring. And I usually wrote very short reviews. And one might think, "Oh, Samantha, you should be able to remember all the details of all these books, right?" Dear reader, do you know how many books I read in a year? I DEFINITELY have forgotten details from a lot of these books, and have had to look up various synopses. XD The good news is, once I remember which book is which, it's not like I don't remember it...I just have to jog my memory, is all. So, some of these may be a little shorter than other mini-reviews in GBBs, is what I'm saying, I suppose.

Good

Faro's Daughter
A battle of wits in a Regency novel of manners? That is something that I'm here for. The mischief that Deborah gets into while she is trying to get back at Max for...well, being Max...is hilarious, and enjoyable. However, I did find that both the beginning and a lot of the middle draaaaaagged, and I both predicted the ending (for at least one of the characters) and disliked the way it wrapped up so precipitously. Then again, that is all Heyer. But anyway. 

The Talisman Ring
As I noted when I read it, this book was not one of Heyer's most substantial plots, but it was fast-paced and fun in any case. I liked some characters more than others--Ludovic and Eustacie were both rather silly (as the younger characters in Heyer often tend to be, I must
admit) but Sarah and Sir Tristram were quite enjoyable to read about. So, so, so.

The Unknown Ajax
This story was pretty much the opposite of The Talisman Ring, in that the story consists in the every-day for a lot of the time, rather than being "oh, and we're solving a murder mystery". And it's astonishing how Heyer can pull both of those off comparatively well. I love Hugo--his wit and Yorkshire accent are rather the best, and the way he enters the family and shakes things up in his own way is incomparable. The romance is adorable, of course, because does Heyer write any other kind? I did think, though (and this is why it's in "Good") that the ending was philosophically and morally questionable. So there's that.

The Nonesuch
Sir Waldo is a Nonesuch, he really is. It's the perfect name for him. His ability to Handle A Situation while remaining Calm and Collected is unparalleled. But at the same time, he has a really kind heart that doesn't always show but is absolutely there. And Miss Trent's ability to Handle a Situation is only second to his, and given that the Situation she usually has to handle is Tiffany (a spoiled brat of a girl), honestly, her Handling Abilities might be equal to his. In any case, much of this book is taken up by Situations, often involving either Tiffany or Sir Waldo's nephew Julian (who is a sweetheart, and I love him), which must be Handled, in more or less successful and entertaining ways, ending in a colossal misunderstanding, which could be irritating, but is handled quite nicely.  

Cotillion
Freddy, Freddy, Freddy. Another reviewer has noted the unusualness of the hero of a romance novel simply being a Really Good and Kind Guy, and it is unusual, but should it be? It's so lovely here. There's a lot of drama between cousins that felt mostly relatable (the romance part not so much, but y'know) and I love Kitty's kind heart very much. This is definitely not one of the ones that I remember best, but I do remember liking it. :)

A Civil Contract
I really enjoyed this book. It came at a stressful time in my life, and the ability to sit next to a wood-burning heater and curl up and disappear into a world where one's biggest problem is one's husband's ex-fiance who still has a crush on him (well, I guess that is a pretty big problem, but...still) was nice. I really liked Adam. He is just a Sweet Man, and he needs hugs. And I like Jenny, as well...the way that she makes every arrangement for Adam's comfort, noticing his every preference without being told, reminds me of my mom, and it's something I aspire to. Also, as I noted on Goodreads, in marriage-of-convenience books there's always that trope that basically goes "well, are they going to get in bed together? because they're not in love. Let's wait until they fall in love and then use that as a plot point with maybe a little too much detail" or something like that. And that absolutely didn't happen here. The reader is told in a high-handed way (i.e. it would most likely go over a child's head) that they get in bed together on their wedding night (which makes sense, because it is a MARITAL ACT. They are MARRIED) and that is that. The ending was a little sad, but that's ok. It was bittersweet, I suppose, and I admire Heyer's bravery for that. Also, Lydia is the best, but Mr. Chawleigh is the worst and quite irritating. There was decidedly too much of him in the book. XD 

Better

The Grand Sophy
This book is one of the most hilarious I have ever read. THE DUCKLINGS, guys. The DUCKLINGS. I can't deal with how funny this is. (The ducklings are only one example, of course. I just happen to find them the most memorable, because #animalscienceminor). Sophy moves in with her cousins and decides that they are badly in need of a number of fixes in the family, but she goes about all of them in ways that I would NEVER have imagined, and I STILL couldn't predict, even halfway through the book. Something is always coming up when Sophy is around. And I loved it. She's not wrong about many of the fixes that are needed! The romance is a bit more minimal/end-of-the-book-weighted, and some people complain about it, but I didn't find it in need of complaint. Really, though, the book is about Sophy's antics. That's why everyone is here. 

Regency Buck
Judith and her brother are going to live with their new guardian when they meet a stranger on the road, who takes certain slightly shocking liberties with her. As luck and Georgette would have it, this stranger also happens to be their new guardian, and seems convinced that they shall Not Have Any Fun. The battles between Judith and Lord Worth are of legendary proportions, leading to many problematic and (obviously) entertaining situations, which all wrap up into an excessively satisfying ending. (Well, I mean, it's precipitous, but it is satisfying.)

The Quiet Gentleman
The romance in this one is even more understated than usual, and I like that. Most of the book centers around family drama between the firstborn son and inheritor (Gervase) and his father's second wife and her son (Martin), who still live in his house and were rather hoping he would die in the war so that Martin would inherit. So there's quite a bit of tension there, as you can probably imagine. And when a string of suspiciously bad accidents start to happen to Gervase, Martin seems to fall under suspicion...but maybe not? The half-brother dynamics are the best. And THEN the sweet romance on top of that just makes the whole thing delightful. 

Friday's Child
I had forgotten about this book until I came back to write this post, and BOY I also forgot how funny it is! Sherry is such a ridiculously precipitous personage, until he has to grow up to take care of his equally precipitous wife. And the mischief that's gotten into, my word! This one had a lot of my favorite tropes (can't tell you what they are because #spoilers, but there we are) and I enjoyed it quite a bit. However, I did have trouble with a couple of the side characters who were pretty interchangeable and there were parts that did drag. But all-in-all, certainly worth reading. 

Best

The Masqueraders
Basically an even more complicated version of Twelfth Night, my favorite Shakespeare comedy. XD Can you imagine how complicated it is having a young woman running around Regency London dressed as a young man? I bet you can't. It's great fun, and made even better by the fact that her brother is running around Regency London dressed as a woman. (Actually, it might be a little earlier than Regency. It's right after the Jacobite rebellion/war/thing. Anyways.) Lord Anthony, who shows up a bit later, is an absolute gem, and all of the things that center around him--both the banter and the drama--are some of my favorite things about the book. But the moonlight swordfights might be a close second.

Devil's Cub
This is the sequel to These Old Shades, but I read it first, hence, it comes first in the list. I didn't find it hard to follow even without having read These Old Shades, so there is no obligation for one to read them in order. (Although one would enjoy them more if one did, I think.) In any case. I absolutely LOVE Mary and her logic and stalwartness, and Dominic is, even though a rake, a very enjoyable character to read about (but not meet). And that scene at the end! Almost as good as the ducklings. But not quite.

These Old Shades
I was not expecting how unique this book was, nor the amount of trouble that would be gotten into by basically all of the characters, but ESPECIALLY Leon. Leon is a bit of a holy terror. The Duke of Avon, while having his character flaws, of course, (like buying people...rather questionable, even if the motives were good-ish-ish) but ultimately, I like him very much. And the dynamic between him and Leon is hilarious. Especially the parts where he calls people "pig-person" and the Duke of Avon is appalled. Lots of confusion and hilarity and also an almost Count of Monte Cristo type plot-thing towards the end. Would highly recommend.

Frederica
Now we get to my first ever Georgette read, which is still my favorite Heyer book, by far. Frederica Merriville is just so funny and lovely--her determination to get Charis married, while not carrying about her own fate, and even being convinced that she is completely on the shelf, as well as her care for her younger brothers and her frank innocence definitely won my heart. And the Marquis (aka Alverstoke) is the absolute best. His crusty distain to do anything for anyone, which crumbles a bit in the face of the young Merrivilles, endears him to me, and his honorableness and the care hidden under the crustiness is sweet as well. Also, I LOVE Felix, who, as I think I've noted, reminds me quite a lot of my youngest brother, Gandalf. (Which, as I mentioned recently, I believe, will amuse you if you know me.) But in addition to the wonderful characters, the humor was over-the-top funny without being over-the-top ridiculous. The Baluchistan Hound incident being just one of the hilarious incidents. And the ending...both funny and sweet at once! So impressive! 

Have you read Georgette Heyer? What are some tropes that often irritate you but have been done well in a couple of books you've read? What's your favorite period for Historical Fiction to be set in?